I need you
by RefuseToSinkxox
Summary: takes place during, and after, 2x10 from Clarke's point of view. (Clarke x Lexa)
1. Chapter 1

The sun was just beginning to disappear behind the tall trees as I slowed my step. It wasn't only because I was tired, but because she looked exhausted, though she'd never admit it. Running from a big ass gorilla could take a tole on a person, even if said person was the commander of a big group of large men and intelligent women who lived to fight.

"We should rest for the night" I said, noticing a nice area of grass to make camp. Lexa stopped walking and turned around to face me. She looked different somehow than when I first met her, she didn't look as threatening.

"Yes. That would be good" she said, walking to the clearing, picking up branches along the way to make a small fire. I too gathered what branches I saw and laid them on top of the small pile she had already made. I started the fire with two dry stones, hitting them together until a spark lite. Soon a nice fire had started, and we both gathered around to absorb the heat. It was quiet for a while as the sun finally left the sky, both of us staring into the bright fire, until she spoke up.

"You shouldn't have saved me" Lexa said, looking at me briefly before returning her gaze to the fire.

"I thought we already talked about this. I wouldn't have just left you if there was something I could do to help." I said, watching her watch the fire. "Besides, I need you. If something were to happen to you, especially on my watch, the bond between the sky people and the grounders would be broken."

"But like I told you, my soul would move onto the next commander, who would-"

"Lexa." I interrupted "I wouldn't let you go that easily". She looked up at me with a smirk. I smiled back, enjoying the peace between us. "You can sleep first, I'll keep watch" I volunteered.

"Thank you Clarke of the sky people" She said, laying down along side me and the fire "for everything"

"You're welcome Lexa" I said softly. She soon fell asleep, her eyes shutting and her breathing steadying. She was unlike anyone I've ever met. To be so young and have so much weight on your shoulders. The weight of all her people, and now the weight of mine too. So much courage and strength, to be able to give her life up at any moment to save the life of another, even the life of a Sky person. I could see why they made her commander, no one else was like her.

* * *

A distant noise woke me from my sleep, which wasn't very peaceful to begin with. Through the middle of the night, Lexa woke and told me to sleep, even though I insisted I needed none. I had fallen asleep quickly, but had nightmares and fits throughout my short slumber.

I quickly scanned the forest around me, searching for the source of the noise, for the large gorilla I assumed was lurking in the thick green of the woods, waiting to attack.

"It's okay." A soothing voice said from behind me. "You're safe" I turned around to see Lexa leaning against a nearby tree. She looked a little less tired then the night before, and was sharpening one of her many knives.

I stood up and walked over to her, sitting down next to her to lean against the tree as well, tilting my head back. "Would you like to leave soon?" I asked

"Not really. We aren't too far, and you're still tired" She said, keeping her gaze on the knife in her hand.

"I can still walk Lexa" I said dryly, lifting my head to look at her. She stared back, a smirk on her face again. It was nice to see that smirk, she didn't show it often.

"You were moving and talking the whole time you were asleep" She stated "Each time something moved in the forest or the fire cracked, you jolted awake"

I nodded "fine, but not for very long" I said as I leaned my head against the tree, my eyes slowly closing again.

I could hear her laugh a little and say "Whatever you say princess" as I drifted off to sleep, my head eventually drooping to the shoulder of my companion.


	2. Chapter 2

"Clarke!" I could hear my mother before I seen her. We were nearing the camp grounds, the doors opening to reveal my mother, Marcus, Raven, Octavia, and a few grounders. My mother and two grounders met us half way, the grounders quickly examining the damage done to their commander, while my mother frantically looked at me. "Are you okay? What happened out there? You had me worried Clarke. What did that to the commander? Are you-

"Mom, it's fine. I'm fine, just tired." I said, walking alongside her to enter the camp grounds. "It was a gorilla" I smiled, knowing I sounded a little crazy.

"A gorilla? Hunny, where is this gorilla?" she asked as I was greeted back by my people. Raven smiled and a gave me a tight hug, along with Octavia, and then continued to ask the same questions my mother asked.

"I just need some sleep and food. Then I'll tell you what happened okay?" The three of them nodded in agreement as we walked toward a larger tent, built for holding our food supply. I turned my head around to see if Lexa was coming, but she was walking in the opposite direction, talking to the people surrounding her.

We sat at a table and the three women continued to ask questions, even though my mouth was stuffed with caribou meat. I ate sloppily, not caring about the glances I got from people near my table, who seemed to be disgusted by my savage appetite. The meat was good, better than anything I've tasted in a while actually, and I ate a lot of it, I have to admit. But soon I stopped, my stomach finally telling me it was full, and I decided to answer some of their questions.

"Okay, I'll tell you what happened" I started, wiping my mouth of any blood or leftover pieces of meat. "I was running from a grounder and-"

"Wait. A grounder? Why were you running from a grounder?" Octavia interrupted.

"He didn't like me. Anyway, he was about to kill me when Lexa found us and threw a knife at him. She helped me up and told me to kill him, which I didn't get the chance to do because something was coming at us through the woods." I continued "Turns out it was a huge gorilla, which killed anything in it's sight. We ran from it, but Lexa got hurt. We got away from it eventually, but we were exhausted, which is why it took us so long to get back here" I finished, looking at their faces that seemed lost in thought.

"So" Raven started after a few seconds of contemplating my story "A gorilla tried to eat you?" I nodded and she laughed. Soon all three of them were laughing at the thought of a crazed gorilla running after two girls in a forest. "Is it still out there?"

I nodded again, smiling at their laughter, even though I knew they wouldn't be so happy if they too seen the size of the gorilla. "We couldn't kill it" I said as I stood from the table.

"Wait Clarke, where are you going?" My mother asked, her smiling face quickly turning to one of concern. "You should be checked out, to make sure you weren't injured"

"I'm going back to my tent to rest. I'm fine honestly, I just need some sleep" I said, leaving the large tent and taking the path to my own. It wasn't a long walk, but my legs could barely make it. They felt like jelly, barely able to keep me upright. As I neared my tent, I could see someone sitting outside of it, a certain commander with a newly made sling for her arm.

"You should probably get some rest" I told her as I stopped in front of the entrance to my small sleeping space.

"Yes, I guess you're right." she said, standing up and awkwardly looking at the ground. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine, tired is all." I said

"Yes well then, I guess I'll leave you to it." She said and turned to go. I grabbed her wrist and turned her back to face me.

"Thank you Lexa" I said sincerely, looking into her hard green eyes.

"For what?"

"For not killing me when you had the chance" I smirked, still holding onto her wrist tightly.

She smirked too, looking down for a second before bringing her gaze back to my eyes. Something changed in her at that moment, something happened to her hard front. "I would never kill you Clarke of the sky people" she said softly. "Sleep now" She turned and I let go of her wrist. I watched her walk the path towards the opposite side of the conjoined camps until she took a turn and left my sight. I finally let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and turned to enter my tent. Quickly collapsing onto a bed made of furs and blankets, I slept instantly, dreaming of hard green eyes changing into the most caring being I've ever met.


	3. Chapter 3

The woods always amazed me. I had read about it numerous times, and attempted to draw it by the words written by those before me who'd seen it, but I never pictured it like this. It was alive, like I could feel it's heart beating when I walked along its brown floor. The trees seemed endless, reaching up toward the sky, like they were trying to escape the Earth, but their roots kept them grounded. I loved the noises it made, the rustling of the leaves, the songs the birds played aloud, the patter of the animals, it all seemed so harmonized.

"Clarke" my mother drew me out of my thoughts "did you get the berries and leaves?" I nodded and handed her different assortments of vegetation found around the forest. "These do help, well according to the Healers. I've only heard of a few, but we're getting low on medicine, so herbs and homemade remedies will have to do" I nodded again, not overly in the mood for talking. I hadn't spoken to Lexa all day, and when I did see her, she said nothing to me, she'd walk right on past. So, I jumped at the chance to leave camp when my mother and Raven asked me to join them for a walk to get the things they needed.

"Well, I'm ready to go" Raven said, hauling a large pile of bark and branches behind her on a makeshift toboggan. She was planning on building some kind of tower to get her radio frequencies to go even farther, and also insisted she got all the supplies herself. My mother nodded and we started off back toward the camp, until we heard the horn. We froze, looking at each other with helpless faces. Neither one of us had a bag on, and the horn meant Acid Fog, but no bags meant no tents to protect ourselves. "We'll have to run for it" Raven said, before dropping the rope from her toboggan and running as fast as she could. I took off behind her, my mother following suit.

We ran as fast as we could, but we were far from camp, and I knew there wasn't any nearby caves or old hideouts to get away from the deathly fog. The horn kept sounding, but I knew we were done for. My mother was falling behind, and Raven's brace wouldn't hold on much longer, and we were still a long ways from camp. "We're not gonna make it" I shouted to them, and I could see on their faces that they knew it too. That's when I heard the sound of a horse galloping through the woods. Charging at us was a dark horse thick with armor, and a brown headed commander, holding a bag in her hand. She said something to the horse, who quickly stopped to let her off, but then sped back the way it came.

Lexa opened the bag, throwing a tent toward my mother and Raven and removing another. She quickly opened the tent, while my mother set up hers. In no time, we were inside, protected from the fog that would have been our demise. I tried to calm myself down, but being so close to death can take a tole on you. "Thank you" I finally said through long breaths.

"It was nothing. I couldn't have you dead" Lexa said. She was so close to me that I could feel her heart beating. Soon the tent got darker, and I could see the fog rolling over us. I turned back to my companion, taking in everything about her. The way her eyes were so stern and determined, yet grew kinder with every day that passed. I could make out a light scar running from the back of her ear that ran all the way down her neck until it disappeared under her armor. "You're staring at me." she said, and I switched my gaze back to the roof of the tent, a blush creeping up my neck to my cheeks.

"Just admiring" I said softly. I could see her smile out of the corner of my eyes, so I turned to watch the blush that turned her tan cheeks to a light pink. She looked away so I looked up again at the roof, knowing the thick Acid fog could take a while to pass over us.

"Clarke." Lexa said, drawing my attention back to her. She always seemed different every time I looked at her. I was awe struck. She had to be one of the most beautiful things I've seen in all my life. Her eyes searched my face, and I smiled at her, reaching my hand up slowly to lightly touch her cheek. I expected her to move away, to tell me to never touch her again, but instead she moved her head so my whole hand could touch her. I pushed back her brown hair, my hand now holding onto her. She closed her eyes, and for a second it was silent, like the world knew something extraordinary was going to happen. I leaned into her slowly, thinking it was now or never, and soon my lips lightly touched hers. She kissed back, and it seemed so natural, like we were destined to be here, at this very moment.

I've kissed people before, granted not many, but kissing Lexa was different. The hard front she always wore shattered in a few seconds, and she seemed nervous and shy, not knowing were to put her hands or how to move her body right. I pulled apart from her, just slightly. "Lexa. Is this... is this okay?" I asked. She nodded and pushed our lips back together. We kissed, our tongues colliding and lips smiling, while a deathly fog rolled over our heads.


	4. Chapter 4

****Thanks for all the reviews, you guys are amazing! Sorry I haven't written in a while, but I hope you enjoy the chapter! Keep reviewing please :)**

"Clarke!" I stopped walking, turning around to find Octavia running up to me. "Have you heard anything? From Bellamy or Lincoln?" I shook my head, unable to look her in the eyes. It was my fault they were in there, and everyday that passes I keep thinking of what could be happening to the both of them. "We gotta go after them Clarke. It's been too long and we haven't heard a thing"

"We just have to wait a little longer. Bellamy can do this Octavia, I know it" We continued walking until we were out of the ship. Octavia walked off toward Indra and her men, who were training and fighting. Indra greeted Octavia and handed her a long knife, and began talking to her in Trigedasleng. The language always amazed me, it was so stern yet beautiful in its own unique way. I was starting to pick up on certain words, but I wasn't nearly as good as Octavia, maybe one day someone would teach me to speak it properly.

I walked to where Raven was sitting down, eating meat while working on another radio. "Is someone covering the other radio" Raven nodded, her mouth holding the meat while her hands tinkered with the wires of the broken radio. I sat next to her, looking out at the camp of grounders and sky people, all working together to learn from one another. It all happened really fast, the alliance, but it gave me so much joy just to see the two different kinds of people coming together. I was just nervous about what will happen once we've defeated Mount Weather.

Someone sat down next to me while Raven made her way back toward the Ark, her head down, fixated on the radio she held. "She's very intelligent" I heard the familiar voice say. I turned to smile at Lexa, who had two plates of meat in her hands, placing one in front of me.

"She is" I said as I started to cut the meat into smaller sizes with my knife. "She can make practically anything work, and turn anything into a weapon" I said while eating, proud of my friend for her smarts. Lexa nodded, eating slowly, her face showing that she was lost in thought. "What are you thinking of?"

She turned toward me, a smirk on her face. "You" she said quietly, then turned her attention back to the caribou in front of her. I could feel the blush creeping up my neck, turning my cheeks a warm pink as I finished my meal.

"Oh." I said quietly, still looking over at the commander next to me. She stood up a few moments later, reaching out her hand toward me. I took it carefully, scared she'll pull away if I move even a little too fast. She walked me to her home, which was a much bigger tent than mine, and lifted the cover of skin and fur that served as the door for me to enter. I stepped in, her hand still in mine, and looked around the dimly lit room. I'd been in it before, but this time I could actually look at things more closely.

Her throne sat in the middle of the room, a strong chair made of old antlers, strange growing tree branches and skins from long dead animals. Next to it was a large table that maps laid on, each of different sizes, territories and colors. Some of the maps were very old, with large buildings and other things I've only read about drawn on them. "Where did you find these?" I asked her. She stood next to me, her hand still firmly in mine.

"They've been passed down from commanders before me, they say that those maps show what our land used to look like" She said, examining the map herself. She pointed to large building that read_ Lincoln Memorial. _"That's where we stand right now"

"Really?" she nodded, walking away from the maps, dropping my hand while doing so. I turned to look at her while she lifted and disappeared behind another skin door. I followed behind her, entering a smaller part of the tent that held only a bed made of many blankets and skins. Lexa grabbed for something by the opposite end of the bed, hidden from my sight of view.

She laid a large bag down on the bed and motioned for me to open it. When I lifted the flap, I seen some old books inside, all of them with withering spins and faded print. "I thought you might enjoy them" she said as I gingerly removed each book, looking them over and reading the title.

"They're beautiful" I said softly, opening and flipping through each, the smell of the pages filling my nostrils. "Where did you get them?"

"I found them when I went hunting a long time ago. I was never taught to read, but I found them interesting and thought one day someone would come along to read what someone had written many years ago" she said, sitting next to me as I placed the books back down on the bed.

"Thank you" I said, smiling at the shy warrior next to me. "No one has given me something like that in a long time" I leaned into her, pressing our lips together and pushing her back onto the bed. She moved her strong hand to gently hold the back of my neck and deepen the kiss. I lowered my hand from her face to her waist, trying to get even closer to the commander underneath me. I left her lips and started a trail of bites and kisses down her neck to her collar, a soft moan escaping her lips. She lifted my shirt with her other hand when I pulled back.

"No. Not yet" I said looking away from the beautiful woman beneath me. She laid her hand on my face, forcing me to look back at her.

"Clarke, it's okay" she said softly "We can go at whatever pace you want okay?" I nodded and got off to lay down beside her. She turned toward me, pushing a stray blonde hair out of my face. "You are beautiful" She whispered as she wrapped an arm around me. I curled up alongside her, closing my eyes to listen to the beating of her heart so close to mine.


	5. Chapter 5

****So sorry I haven't written in a while, hope this makes up for it! Thank you so much for the reviews, keep them coming :)**

"I want the Mountain Men dead" I told my people, walking through the forest toward the beginning of a war. "They've slaughtered our people, drained their blood and used it for themselves. It's time they pay the price" Grounders and sky people nodded and cheered around me. Lexa walked in front of me, her brown hair swaying back and forth as we trudged through the night.

Lexa stopped in her tracks when one of her guards told her something. She turned around to look at the large group of warriors following behind her "we shall rest for the night. It will be a short slumber, we must attack our enemy at dawn before they realize we're coming". We planned on walking until we reached the bottom of Mount weather, but a lot of our people were tired and injured, especially those who were at Ton D.C. People nodded and began to settle down near tree trunks or sit and drink whatever water we had left. Lexa walked a little ways ahead with some of her guards, so I followed suit. She turned toward me, looking over my shoulder as to make sure no one could hear us.

"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing the hint of worry Lexa showed on her face. "Do they know we're coming?"

She shook her head " Do you think we have enough with us?" She asked, her eyes scanning over the warriors behind me.

"I think we can do it. Bellamy is going to let out all the Grounders in the Mountain, plus my people in there and we have an army here now" I said, sitting down on a fallen log. Lexa sat too and motioned for her guards to go and rest.

"I know, but everyone's weak Clarke. The people inside, they've been tortured and cut open, and most of the people here were at Ton D.C." She laid her head in her hands, covering her face as her body hunched over with exhaustion.

I laid one hand on her back and lifted her face to mine with my other. "Lexa, we can do this. We're not going to be stupid and just charge in there. We've thought this through. We have a strategy, and a back up strategy if the first one doesn't work out." I reassured her, rubbing small circles on her back. "Bellamy is going to radio Raven, who's going to radio me, when all the Grounders inside are out of their cages. We're going to go in through the Reaper tunnels because we can control them with the devices from Mount Weather. We got this, we're going to win." She nodded hesitantly and laid her head on my shoulder.

"You should sleep" she said a few moments later with her head still on my shoulder and her fingers intertwined with mine.

"So should you" I said, getting up slowly and stretching both my hands out to help her up. She took them graciously and stood up, looking around for a place to rest. I took her hand and walked her to a nearby tree, where we both sat down to lean against the hard bark. Lexa shifted a few times, obviously uncomfortable with these sleeping positions. After a few minutes of restlessness, she decided instead to lay down, using my lap as a pillow for her head. I smiled, running my fingers through her hair, before I heard her breathing slow to a steady pace. I soon shut my eyes, trying to quiet the voices in my head.

* * *

I awoke to the absence of warmth on my legs. Lexa was attempting, and failing, to get up without waking me. "Sorry" she mumbled as she stood, stretching her arms out and yawning. People around us were slowly waking up, while some were already awake and sharpening their weapons. I stood, holding back a yawn as Indra walked up to us.

"We are ready when you are" she said to Lexa, eyeing me standing close behind her leader.

"Thank you Indra, awake everyone and prepare. We will leave soon" Lexa said, her front hard like it always is when she talks, or commands, her people. Indra nodded and walked off, waking people along her path. "When will Bellamy radio us?" she asked.

"Soon hopefully. Raven told him to wait until at least the afternoon to give us time to prepare." I spun her around so we could be face to face. Her face was hard, but her emerald eyes continued to show signs of worry. "Lexa, we can do this, I know we can" She nodded and smirked, one corner of her mouth raising to show me, and only me, that she had emotions. She grabbed my hand swiftly and pulled me further away from the group into the woods.

She stopped unexpectedly and pushed me into a nearby tree, one hand grasping my waist while the other held my face. The warrior pressed her lips to mine, much more wanting than any times before. She trailed her tongue along my bottom lip to gain entrance to my mouth, and I wrapped my arms around her neck to pull her even closer. I bit onto her bottom lip before she pulled away, her eyes still closed. She touched her forehead to mine, and we stood there for what felt like forever, but what could have only been for a few minutes. Wrapped up in each other, neither one of us wanting to let go first. I finally opened my eyes to see her already watching me.

"You are my hope" she whispered lightly, lifting her head to kiss my forehead gently. She let go of me and started to walk back, but I grasped onto her wrist, pulling her back to me. I kissed her cheek and then we embraced, her strong arms wrapping around my waist. "Love is not weakness. It is strength" I whispered into her hair. She nodded and pulled away, both of us walking side by side back to our people and to the war that was to come.

* * *

We stood ready at the bottom of Mount Weather, low enough to escape the cameras' view, but high enough to attack at any moment. The tunnels stood before us, two large black holes drilled into the mountain. Hunched down to hide from sight, I was in the front with Lexa by my side, Indra and Octavia behind us. Grounders and sky people alike crouched in front of the tunnels, like lions ready to pounce. Then a crackle was heard from the radio I held firmly in my hand.

"They're out Clarke, he got them out" I heard Raven's voice say excitedly through the small device in my hand. Lexa looked at me, her hand holding onto a long sword-like knife. She nodded, and I inhaled a big breath of fresh air before Lexa stood. She began running into one tunnel, and I followed suit. Our large group of warriors divided into two groups, and quickly entered the dimly lit underpass that stood before them. We used the devices as planned to control the Reapers. The mad creations of the horrible Mountain Men sank to the ground at the high pitched noises and we continued on through the black holes.

Our group stopped at a shaft, that stood a little ways above our heads, where a rope dangled down for our access to Mount Weather. I quickly grabbed on, using all my upper body strength to climb the rope into the shaft, and then used my legs to help quicken my pace. I could feel someone begin to climb as well as I reached the top. I climbed out and dropped onto concrete floor, standing quickly and readying my weapon incase they heard us coming. I scanned the room, a doctor's lab with empty cages, before turning my attention to the Commander coming up behind me.

"Now where" she asked quietly as more and more of our people entered the room. I began walking toward the door, peaking out the window to make sure the coast was clear.

We walked until I heard voices echoing off the white walls of the underground town. Coming toward us were men in white and yellow vests, guns in their hands, aimed down at the ground. Their faces when they saw us showed so much fear that they didn't even have time to react before they were knifed.

We continued on until we met with Bellamy and a small group of grounders and my people. I quickly hugged them, smiling at Jasper and Harper before we marched on. As we turned a corner, the war began.

Bullets ran past my head, and I pushed back, trying to make everyone go back around the corner, but it was too late. Some people fell from bullets entering their bodies, but more continued on, using their weapons to bypass the small blockade of Mountain soldiers. Their were more that came after as we entered what I remembered to be the dining hall. Our people against theirs, bullets zoomed by, knives hit metal and bone, cries came from all around. I shot at and stabbed at whatever stood in front of me, attempting to stay alive long enough to win this war. I lost track of Lexa, unable to find her in the crowd of bodies that killed and died around me. Then someone grabbed onto me from behind. I quickly turned to stab them with my knife, but I met the bloody face of a friend.

"Clarke, go" Bellamy shouted, trying to be louder than the gun fire and cries. "Go help the injured escape, they need you out there" he pointed to a door leading the way we entered. "We got this here covered"

"Where's Lexa?" I asked

"She went to help. Go Clarke" he said before turning and shooting a nearby man in yellow. I turned and ran for the door, quickly retracing my steps back. I met up with Monty, who was helping two grounders out toward the shaft. I picked up the arm of one and hung it over my shoulder, trying to help her to her feet.

We finally found the room where many injured grounders and a few sky people stood, waiting to go down into the tunnels. I scanned the room until my eyes fell onto my warrior. She was helping her people down the shaft, quickly lifting and helping them up and into the escape route. I helped too, carrying people and the unconscious to the shaft and into freedom. We had almost everyone gone when noise could be heard from the hallway and the door burst open. Mountain Men aimed their guns and fired, bullets hitting the few who hadn't yet gone down the shaft. I quickly lifted my gun, shooting at the first few soldiers. Monty shot at them too as Lexa helped the last few into the shaft.

"Monty go!" I yelled. He ran to the shaft and jumped down.

"Clarke" I heard Lexa next to me. She started firing too, using a gun I had showed her to use before we had came. I turned to go down when I heard a bullet hit flesh alongside me. And then another. A hand grabbed onto my shoulder as the young Commander tried to stay up. Someone was yelling, and I think it was me, but I couldn't tell. I lifted her up, her hand still pulling the trigger at the men trying to kill us. I quickly climbed into the shaft, Lexa in my arms. I could hear her heart pumping and feel her blood on my hands as I held onto the girl I loved.


	6. Chapter 6

Everything happened then on in one big blur.

I didn't let her go, and kept trying to carry her out. My left arm was so weak, I didn't know why, and I couldn't carry her. I just couldn't.

I wanted to get away from the dark tunnel, from the cheers and screams and people all around me. Someone grabbed my shoulder, but most of my vision was blurred from the water in my eyes that hadn't yet fallen.

"Clarke. Give her to me" I blinked away the tears to clear my vision to look at Lexa's guard, Ryder. He was looking down at his commander, worry striking every feature of his body.

"I can't let her go..." I said, looking down as well. Her eyes were closed, but her chest was still rising and falling, blood still seeping through her once-brown shirt.

"You can't carry her." He bent down to gently lift her from my arms to his. She looked so small, his strong arms wrapping around her protectively. "I will get her to safety." Ryder began walking out of the dark mine toward the exit, and I followed close behind. I couldn't leave her, not like this.

"Clarke!" Someone shouted from behind me. I couldn't see who, but it took me out of my trance. I looked around at the wounded desperately trying to get out, the warriors heading in, and the bodies laying around me. My arm was pounding, like my heart had moved to rest in my bicep, and I wanted to go. Go be with her, go and get away from this damned mountain. But these were my people, they were fighting for me, they were fighting and I couldn't leave them.

I watched Ryder make it out of the tunnel and head downhill. I watched until I couldn't see the them anymore. I watched what might be the last time I saw her alive again, and then I turned and ran back in to fight.

* * *

"How do you not notice that you got shot?" My mother asked as she wrapped my left arm with a bandage.

"I didn't have time to think" I said "Shouldn't you be taking care of Lexa? She needs you more than I do" I looked at the strong commander laying under a thin sheet. A heart monitor and IV were hooked up to her. Her eyes were still closed, even though I keep praying for them to open. For green eyes to stare back at me.

My mother sighed, finishing up her task and sitting down alongside me. "I've done everything I could. I took out two bullets without much complication, but she lost a lot of blood. It's up to her now, Clarke" she said, laying her hand on my knee and giving it a quick squeeze. "It's only been two days, she's strong"

I nodded and rubbed circles with my thumb on Lexa's hand. My mother eventually left to tend to all the others wounded in battle. We won the war, most of the Mountain Men died, and the innocent were spared but still heavily guarded by our people in the mountain. We lost many warriors, but saved many more. Thirty-seven of my people were saved from inside the Mountain, and many more grounders were let free from the cages.

I could feel the excitement from everyone, cheers still going on and drinks passed around two days later. They knew Lexa was shot, and they knew it could go bad, but they celebrated in her honor. Most weren't worried, as they believed that if she were to die, her spirit would just go on to the next Commander. The ones who showed signs of worry were those close to her. Indra checked in every now and then, and Ryder never left the entrance to her room. I haven't yet moved since I came back.

She didn't look like herself. I knew it was lexa, she had all the same features, but she seemed so fragile now. Her body looked so small and weak, like she was already dead, and her face showed no sign of emotion, just a blank expression that lets out breaths of air. I held her hand and never let go, just waiting for her to squeeze my hand, to show me that she was still in there. I laid my head down on the edge of her bed, closing my eyes to hold back the tears trying once again to fall.

* * *

I was awoken by a strong shaking of my shoulder, which hurt like hell, and Raven saying my name over and over again. "Ouch" I said and lifted my head.

"Sorry.." she mumbled. She quickly scanned her eyes over Lexa, but returned her gaze to me. "They need you out there" she said

"No. I'm not leaving her" I said, rubbing my eyes with my free hand. "They don't need me"

"They do actually. Clarke, the Grounders don't trust your mother, they trust you. They have no commander Clarke, and they keep asking for you" I sighed heavily, looking at Lexa's face. Why couldn't she just open her eyes. "Clarke, you have to go. I'll stay with her okay? I promise to watch over her" Raven said, pulling me up by my good arm and taking my seat. I nodded, took one last glance at the girl in the bed and walked out.

Bellamy caught up to me as I made my way toward the Grounders' side of camp. "Hey." he said awkwardly. He hadn't talked to me since we came back from Mount weather, and he didn't visit me or Lexa in the infirmary, which I didn't think was very cool of him.

"What's wrong with the Grounders?" I asked

"They want their commander. They say they need a leader, that they won their fight and now they want to go" He said as we walked into the Grounders' main tent. Indra stood at the front of the table, Octavia right behind her, arguing with a big Grounder about something in Trigedasleng. Other Grounders stood around the table, some shouting in agreement or in frustration, others nodding and staying quiet. They quieted when I walked over to Indra, who nodded her head to greet me.

"What is troubling you?" I asked the group. I wanted to sound like I actually gave a damn, even though the only thing on my mind was getting back to her.

The Grounder Indra was arguing with spoke up. "We do not belong here anymore. We are done the fight, and now we should return to our old village" He stated, some nodding in agreement around him.

"Why would you not belong here anymore?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We have fought, but now we are done. We do not belong with Sky People" He said with a hint of a smirk.

I shook my head. "And how do you not belong with Sky people? Sky People fought to get your people out, we stood alongside you and fought. Your Commander believed in the unity of our people, and we will not break that unity." I said, raising my voice.

"But the fight is over. This is not our home" He said sternly.

"This is our home. We left our old village and we've started a new life here. Our Commander trusts the Sky People, and so should we" Indra intervened.

"The Commander isn't here anymore" He said, with a full smirk this time. I lost it.

I slammed my fist on the table, getting shocked expressions from everyone. All eyes were staring at me now. "Your Commander took two bullets trying to help your injured. She is fighting to stay alive while you're trying to leave. You will all stay here, whether you like it or not" I yelled, shutting up any other objections. I marched out of the tent, Bellamy following suit.

"Wow, you showed them Princess" he said, a small chuckle coming from his throat. I ignored him, heading back toward Lexa when someone else shouted my name. I stopped, rolled my eyes and turned to see my mother walking toward me, Kane following in her trail.

"Clarke, we have to talk about the people in Mount Weather" she said, stopping infront of me.

"We have to discuss this now?" I asked, getting a strong nod from both. They turned back from where they came from, motioning me to follow them back into the Ark.

* * *

We were discussing treatments for the Reapers when I heard my name being called for a third time. I turned to see a panting Raven running toward me through the hall. She stopped and laid a hand on the table for support. "She's awake" she said through breaths. She said something else after that, but I had already ran too far to hear.

I pushed the door to the infirmary open and ran to her bed. People were crowded around, so I couldn't see her. Ryder was at the foot of her bed, Indra, Octavia and Lincoln surrounding her. I pushed through to see green eyes already looking at me. "Princess" she said softly.

I could feel a tear already falling down my face as I wrapped my arms around her neck and pulled her into me. An Ow could be heard from her, but I didn't let go for a few moments, completely ignoring the group of people surrounding us. I finally let her go just so I could see her face, to see her eyes looking at me, her mouth smirking that adorable smirk she saves only for me. "You're awake" I said, letting out a big breath of air.

"I am" she said and then turned to the others. "Could you all give a few minutes" she said, and they all turned to leave reluctantly.

I held onto her hand again, kissing her cheek as soon as we were alone. "You had me so worried Lexa" I muttered as another tear rolled down my face. She lifted her hand to wipe it off, the smirk still plastered on her face.

"I'm guessing you missed me Sky girl" she said with a laugh, pulling my face in to press our lips together.

I pulled back a little after a few seconds, laying my forehead to hers. "Don't you ever scare me again like that" I said, hugging into her again.


End file.
